


A Knight of Your Mettle

by quartetship



Category: South Park
Genre: Black Friday Trilogy AU, M/M, Princess Kenny - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1324315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quartetship/pseuds/quartetship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it takes the wisdom of a princess to remind a knight what it is that he fights for...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Knight of Your Mettle

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a birthday gift for tumblr user kippythegreatest, this is an AU, set in the imaginary world the kids see themselves in during the Black Friday trilogy of episodes. (Although all characters are implied as adults here - again with the AU thing!)
> 
> Princess Kenny is referred to with female pronouns here.
> 
> Possible sequel at some point?
> 
> \--
> 
> Like this?
> 
> [Follow me on tumblr](http://quartetship.tumblr.com/) for more of the same, as well as fandom-related posts and rambles!
> 
> \--

He stood alone, watching the movement of his fellow warriors on the training field below. Sir Stanley - decorated knight, leader of the forces of her highness, the princess - all but hiding in a drafty corner of the kingdom, far from the eyes of his men. The frame of the castle window in which he stood creaked beneath his boots; he nudged the corner with the sheath of his sword and watched as a small piece of stone tumbled down the castle’s wall.

The wind was cold; winter was approaching quickly. He wondered if his people had what they needed to make it through the frozen nights ahead. He couldn’t help but wonder about those on the opposing side of the war. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering about Kyle.

He had _tried_. Every time the thought of the other young man had entered his mind he had fought it, battled it with the same resolve he vowed to show on the field. But it was never enough. The familiar voice of his former lover swirled through his thoughts even during the hardest of trainings. It drove him; toward what, he was no longer certain.

From beyond the edge of his thoughts - and somewhere behind him in the distance - he heard footsteps approach. Struggling to pull his glazed eyes from their place staring out onto the fields, he sighed and wondered which of his men would have thought to find him there to deliver word from the training grounds. He was startled instead by the sound of a woman, clearing her throat as she stood at his back.

"Your highness!" He said hastily. He tucked his helmet beneath his arm and dropped to his knee in front of her. "I am ready with a report from our training grounds, m’lady."

"To your feet, Sir Stanley. I may be your princess but I come now to speak to you as a friend. There will be no talk of battle between us today."

 

"What then does your highness wish to discuss with me?"

She crossed the stone floor between them, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. “You are troubled. I can see it. You watch the sun setting to ease your mind, but it does little. It serves only to remind you of Sir Kyle.”  
He drew back at the mention of Kyle’s name, throwing her hand from his arm. “I know nothing of him since he joined the ranks of the wizard king’s army.” He felt his face flush from the embarrassment of his lack of decorum. But the princess remained calm, and spoke softly, grasping the end of one of her blonde, ribbon-wrapped braids.

"But I do, Sir Stanley. I, too counted him as a dear friend, and I know his heart, as well as I know your own. And unlike most, I know that those hearts still beat for one another."

"Why do you tell me this, m’lady?" He asked quietly. He hoped she did not hear the brokenness in his voice.

"Because you need to hear it. You want to hear it, and for you to tell me otherwise would be a dishonorable lie. Not the sort of thing I would expect from a knight of your mettle."

“This knight seeks only victory in the coming war, and I busy myself only with preparations for it. I have training to oversee, unlike the future High Elf.”

"It betrays your ignorance that you would believe Sir Kyle to be any less prepared for this war than you are yourself."

He scoffed. “If Sir Kyle is so concerned about what would take place on the battlefield, why has he taken a place as council to the wizard king?”

"Because—"

"Because he would not dirty his hands." he interjected, turning from her. " _That_ is why he—”

The princess spoke more loudly, her voice steady and unfazed. “It is because of you, Sir Stanley.”

He turned on his heel. “Me? Forgive me, my princess, but what does his cowardice have to do with me?”

"Sir Kyle’s motivations are not rooted in cowardice, knight. He is as primed for battle as you or any of your men, if not more so. His seat at the side of the wizard king was indeed his choice, but he did not take it to shy away from a fight. He has chosen to distance himself from the field, so that he may not witness - or worse yet, be responsible for - the fall of his most beloved. Sir Kyle has chosen not to risk watching you die, Sir Stanley."

"Kyle gave up what little there was left between us when he sat at the right hand of the wizard. He cares not for me, nor I for him." He almost growled, unable to control the anger bubbling up through his words.

Her tone sharpened as she drew her eyes down at him. “I thought I warned you about lying to your princess, knight. Now hear me; Sir Kyle is at this very moment as taken with you as he has ever been. His pride is nearly as blinding as your own, but that one fact remains true. He does much of what he does with his mind’s eye turned toward you.”

"Why then does he fight with them?" He argued.

"His beliefs are his own. He has his, as we have ours. If you remember, Sir Stanley, I once believed as they do. I was shown the light, and it is possible that one day, Sir Kyle may see it also. Until that day dawns, we must fight to protect what we believe is the truth, but we must also be understanding of those who believe differently. Those whom we used to call our brothers, sisters and friends. They are still the people we have always known. They are still those whom we love.”

He could not argue further; she was right. Instead, he spoke candidly, quietly. “What would you have me do, your highness? I cannot disavow my belief; that which we fight for is superior, and must become the way of the land. I will not surrender my men and my mind so that my heart may be quieted. I will not allow him to rule me.” He whispered the last few words. It was the only time he’d ever spoken of his feelings for Kyle, and it felt foreign, especially with the princess.

"I would not have you ruled by him - or he by you - any more than I would have you ruled by the wizard. But as your friend - and as a friend of Sir Kyle as well, despite our differences - I would have you live. You must survive this war, Sir Stanley. Only then can you amend what has become so broken in your life."

"I wish to live, your highness. But I do not wish to be counted as a coward, nor do I relish the thought of bowing to the whims of the wizard and his warriors. I intend to fight with all of my skill, and to claim victory for your kingdom. Even if the cost is my life. The memories of what was between myself and Sir Kyle are nothing more than that, now. Memories, as useless as his every promise."

She shook her head, resolutely. “As I have said, Sir Stanley, I would have you live. I believe that I have proven by now that I most often receive what I desire. I have seen what this war has destroyed already, and I do not wish to see love torn apart by its ruthlessness. I would have you live, sir knight. And I am willing to do what is necessary to see that you do.”


End file.
